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Result: Fulham 1 Aston Villa 0

Having passed their way to the brink of the Premier League, earning all the praise that comes with being the Championship’s prettiest team, Fulham were forced to show their nasty side when it mattered most.

Slavisa Jokanovic’s side snapped into challenges and cracked bone upon bone. They ran, they tackled, they blocked and they cleared. Reduced to 10 men for much of the second half, they abandoned everything that had taken them this far, everything that had carried them to a 23-game unbeaten run this year, and simply ground it out.

It was gritty, it was desperate. It was not the usual Fulham. But it was, in the end, enough to carry them all the way back to the promised land. Just weeks after their owner, Shahid Khan, had announced his intention to buy Wembley, Fulham swept into the national stadium and delivered a victory that guarantees the club at least £160m, as well as everything else that comes with being a Premier League side.

Top-flight status will be theirs to savour once more, and Fulham’s concerns over keeping this exciting, gifted side together next season will have been washed away by the champagne that popped on the Wembley pitch.

It felt fitting that it was Tom Cairney, the club captain, who scored the clinching goal against an Aston Villa side that took too long to rise to the occasion. It also felt appropriate that Cairney’s strike was created by Ryan Sessegnon, the teenage prodigy who was once again at the centre of the game’s defining moment.

“We showed we can be solid,” Jokanovic said. “We showed we can be organised and fight all together. We showed the personality, we showed the quality.”

There can be no denying that Fulham have merited this, and it will be fascinating to see how this cohort of technicians copes with the Premier League. Yet Villa will feel aggrieved not to have found the net in the second half, when the brilliant Jack Grealish romped his way through the Fulham midfield at will.

Steve Bruce’s side chased the ball in the first half, then chased the game after Cairney’s goal, but were dominant after the break. The dismissal of Denis Odoi looked to have cleared the path for a comeback, but Bruce was left rueing an absence of clarity in attack. Grealish did not have enough support and that lack of class, as much as anything Fulham produced, is what prevented Bruce from securing a record fifth promotion to the Premier League.

Fulham's Serbian manager Slavisa Jokanovic in the party moodCredit:
afp

Victory would have been doubly special for the Villa manager, who lost both his parents in the space of 88 days earlier this year, but the play-off final remains the most brutally unforgiving of fixtures.

“In the first half we were too deep,” said Bruce. “Too respectful. We did not do enough and that’s disappointing. But let’s not forget that we are Aston Villa. A proud club. A big club. We will try to move forward.”

The question will be how far they will be able to progress considering the financial constraints that will be placed on the club next season. There is even the possibility of a transfer embargo. A summer of unease awaits at Villa Park.

“We dust ourselves down and accept defeat,” said Bruce. “Yes, it’s going to be difficult but we have done it this year. We have gone close but not close enough.”

These were the sort of doubts that were always going to hover over the loser last night. As ever with the play-off final, there was almost as much to lose in defeat as there was to gain in victory.

It was perhaps no surprise, then, that the opening minutes here were defined by anxiety, caginess and a reluctance to commit men forward. Fulham had nearly all of the ball, but they remained a long way back from the opposition goal and hardly posed an attacking threat until the 20th minute.

When the first chance came, through a looping Aboubakar Kamara effort, it was almost immediately followed by the goal. Sessegnon twisted past a challenge in midfield, then slipped a weighted pass through to the unchallenged Cairney, who rolled a calm finish into the far corner. “Tom is fantastic,” Jokanovic said. “He showed the personality to bring this team into the Premier League.”

Tom Cairney puts Fulham aheadCredit:
getty images

Sessegnon soon had an opportunity to double the lead, but headed straight at Villa goalkeeper Sam Johnstone after he had eluded a back-line marshalled by 37-year-old John Terry. As an illustration of Sessegnon’s youth, it felt notable that Terry had made his professional debut in 1998, two years before the Fulham winger had been born.

Fulham were in control, but Grealish was beginning to threaten. At one stage it seemed as if the Fulham players were taking turns in hacking the Villa playmaker, and Ryan Fredericks was perhaps fortunate the referee had not seen a stamp on Grealish’s thigh. “There were big decisions that went against us,” Bruce said.

After the break, Grealish began to play at his own pace. He was briefly untouchable, and went close to an equaliser after a snaking run through four white shirts. He also claimed two penalties and forced the second yellow for Odoi, who planted his studs in Grealish’s chest as Villa gained momentum.

But Villa needed quality that never arrived. As the pressure grew, the white wall held firm. Fulham are back in the big time.

An excellent play-off final

The record books (let's face it - Wikipedia) will show this was another tight and nervy Championship play-off final.

A 1-0 win clinches promotion for the winning side for the ninth time in the last 14 of these games. That does little justice to an entertaining and full-blooded match.

Both teams looked to attack and there was little of the cagey negative football anticipated.

Fulham deserved the win, offering more going forward and profiting from an excellent first half which could have brought more than Tom Cairney's goal. Their steel to hang on in the second half, as energy waned and they lost a centre-back to a red card, will serve them well in the league above.

As will an exciting core of young players. Cairney's claim afterwards that he's not been fit all season is astonshing given his influence in this campaign. Sessegnon will surely be convinced to give it a go for at least another year, and maybe even Mitrovic will begin to look like a top-flight striker in time.

Villa face a less certain future. John Terry's face afterwards suggested a man who's had enough footballing disappointment to last a lifetime. The MLS may begin to look mighty tempting. Hutton and Jedinak were exposed too often, but there is enormous promise in Jack Grealish, if they can hang onto him.

Trophy time

Fulham on their way up the steps

Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon are next up

Match-winner Cairney "A lot of people gave us a bit of stick but football won today, football won. It's been a hard season for me, I've been playing all season not fully fit. I've had to miss a lot of training sessions to get through games, the manager said he needed me so I've played."

Sess: "It's been a fantastic season and to top it off for promotion, there's nothing better than that."

FULL TIME Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

90+5 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

90+4 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Ball is not where Villa would like it to be. Fulham have a throw in line with the Villa box, and now Christie heads towards the corner flag where he will look to stay. Not for long, it's out for a Villa goal kick. But Mitoriv has it shortly afterwards and tries to do similar at the other corner flag. Snodgrass, losing his temper, kicks Sessegnon as he arrives to help out. Free kick for Fulham, a minute left.

90+3 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

90+1 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

We'll have five added minutes. Oddly, it's become a bit flatter since the red card. Villa seemingly losing their mojo a little. Adomah puts a cross in from deep but Hogan heads it harmlessly wide You feel they'll get a chance, though.

90 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

89 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Christie pushing the rules right to their limit, with an arm round Adomah's waist like a tactless teenager getting too friendly with his date in the cinema. It's effective, though, Adomah forced into a backwards pass. But Villa now have a free kick, and it's in Snodgrass shooting range...

85 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

We've entered the final act of this 90 minutes. Fulham forced into a bus-parking now, two banks of four sat very deep and you feel we're now going to have about 10 minutes of unerring Villa pressure. Onomah transports the ball across the edge of the box but his attempted shot is charged down.

83 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

81 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Excellent tackle from Norwood, sliding in with a large bag full of commitment to snuff out a shot from Hourihane which had every chance. The Villa player has stayed down in the box but there was nothing wrong with the challenge. A small breather for everyone now, it's been a wonderfully frantic second half.

79 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Jedinak, not at the races today, rugby tackles Mitrovic as he gets past him just inside Villa's half. He's booked. Another sub for Fulham, it's the dangerous Kamara going off to be replaced by centre-back Tomas Kalas. Kamara booked on his way off for taking too long. Villa make a couple of changes too change too, it's Kodjia on for Elmohamaday, Onomah on for recent yellow card recipient Jedinak.

75 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Despite the numerical disadvantage it's Fulham on the attack. Crossed in for Mitrovic who controls on his knee but, leaning back blasts it over the bar. A decent chance squandered. McDonald has dropped back to partner Ream in central defence after Odoi's dismissal.

73 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

RED CARD! 70 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Odoi sent off for Fulham, a second yellow. Ridiculous foul, Grealish getting the better of him and Odoi attempts some sort of mid-air kidney removal operation, sticking the boot into the foppish midfielder's side. Silly foul. Johansen also struggling for Fulham, limping off the pitch with the assistance of a physio. Before all of this excitement Kamara broke into Villa's box at ferocious speed and cut the ball back, falling to the ground. Penalty? No, he slipped. But Jedinak also slid in on him comedically late with a sort of bonus foul. That wasn't given either.

68 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Big miss for Fulham! They flow forward at speed, Kamara with a disguised run to open up a gap. Sessegnon tees up Johansen in plenty of space about 20 yards from goal. He takes an arguably needless touch but hammers his effort a touch too hard. It's over. That should have been on target at least

67 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Miotrovic a touch disappointing today. Fulham could do with him backing into Chester or Terry and holding the ball up to ease a bit of pressure. Instead he's tried to run at them a few times with little joy. Fulham have a corner after a McDonald shot deflects over, but it's headed wide.

64 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

A scuffle. Stemming from a dreadful challenge from Grealish, late, reckless and dangerous to slide in on Johansen. Several players from both sides steaming in but Martin Atkinson had his yellow card drawn while Grealish was still sliding. Hourihane gets him out of harm's way.

62 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Glorious from Grealish! He glides snake-hipped past three Fulham defenders after picking up the ball 30 yards from goal and briefly looks like he's going to join Dean Windass play-off final goal hall of fame. His shot is well saved by Bettinelli. Villa keep coming, pressure growing on Fulham.

60 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Fulham working it horizontally at speed, ball never quite in anyone's control. Drops invitingly for McDonald. "Hit it!" I tell the television, impotently. He does, but it's a small block of flats over the bar.

58 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Terry looks old and slow. Mitrovic gets above him with ease but flashes his header over. Without wanting to state the bleeding obvious, the next goal is massive here. Villa bossing possession and have the momentum. Grealish pokes it through for Grabban but it's well defended by Odoi. Fulham goal kick.

55 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Villa have found their route into this match, and it's down their right-hand side. They're manouvering their way round Fredericks with ease, Grealish, Hourihane and Adomah all getting the better with him in recent moves. The crossing is yet to yield anything other than a shot off target but Fulham have been forced to drop back and it's the Brummies looking more likely to score next at the moment. They've had two thirds of possession in the second half.

53 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Grealish close! Adomah again with a decent cross, Fredericks failing to close him down. Grealish on his own in the six yard box, but his header is charged down by Bettinelli. Villa growing into this now, fans have found their voice too. Another Adomah cross from deep, all going through him, but Snodgrass pushes Targett in the head in his attempt to get on the end of it. Fulham free kick.

50 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

48 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Fulham have some space in front of Villa's back four again. Wherefore art thou, Mile? Kamara tees up Mitrovic, who's free in the box on the right. Slides it across towards Sessegnon, but it's cut out. Think Sessegnon may have been offside anyway.

46 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Aston Villa get this half started, Fulham keeper Bettinelli is late out for kick-off. A warm reception, of sorts, from the Villa fans behind his goal. Brighter start from Villa, Adomah attacking with some vigour down the right. Fulham deal competently with his cross.

Some stats

Half time verdict

Villa will be happy they're only one behind. They started by trying to keep a tight, deep shape but lost concentration after 20 minutes and have looked vulnerable ever since. Fulham, looking more sprightly and better-motivated, can smell blood.

Kamara has looked their most obvious source of joy up against a creaking Hutton at left-back, but it's the threat carried by osciallting midfielders Sessegnon, Ciarney and Johansen which has been particularly difficult for Villa to deal with.

Steve Bruce is a good enough manager to address these issues at half-time, but you sense another Fulham goal would settle it.

HALF TIME Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Villa ending the half on the ball but not going far with it. Ream steps out of defence to pulverise a clearance into at least the middle tier of the stadium as soon as Elmohamady looks to play an incisive pass.

45 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Two added minutes for his half. A few players looking like they could do with the break. Kamara squatting on his haunches, Johansen down with what looks a painful hip, and limping off the pitch after treatment. Looks like he'll be okay to return.

43 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Near-disaster for Villa! Chester watches a throw, assuming it's dribbling back to Johnstone. The keeper comes miles out of his goal to collect it but stops, seemingly anticipating a clearance from his defender. Meanwhile, Mitrovic loiters with intent. Moments before he nicks in Chester belatedly decides to hook it away. So close to a tap into an empty net for Fulham, shades of the Koscielny-Szczesny League Cup final disaster. The entire Villa defence looks utterly rattled.

39 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Snodgrass looks likely to shoot but instead dinks one over the wall for Grealish to run onto. He's on his own, controls it on this thigh but spoons his shot over the bar. Best chance of the game so far for Villa.

35 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

A better spell for Villa, the first time they've had the ball for a sustained period in Villa's half. Grealish, who was well within his rights to make a bigger meal of that Fredericks stamp than he did, looks to run at Targett. Socks already down by his ankles. I can't lie, liveblog fans, he's looking pretty cool. That's not enough for him to get a telling cross over.

33 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Fulham charge forward at speed, that middle third is all theirs at the moment. It's out to Kamara on the right who crosses well. Terry's header is uncertain and it falls for Sessegnon, in line with the far post. He connects well with his head but it's straight into Johnstone's midriff.

26 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1

Terry leading the enquiry in the Villa defence. They were caught flat and too deep for that goal but Sessegnon deserves enormous credit for sizing up the picture in a moment and picking the perfect pass. Villa need to ride this out for 10 minutes now, Fulham with all the momentum and the crowd distinctly on their side.

GOAL!! 23 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 1 (Cairney)

Made by Sessegnon, sidestepping a wild challenged from Hourihane in that same area ceded not long before by Villa, 30 yards from goal, in front of a retreating back four. Sessegnon uses the space and time beautifully, weighting a delicate ball into the box where Cairney has plenty of time and space to guide the ball past Johnstone and into the bottom corner.

21 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

A shot, of sorts. The first of the game. Fulham finding a bit more space in front of Villa's back four and Kamara has a pop. Johnstone able to watch it over his bar. He's put through again shortly afterwards by Johansen but can't get the ball under control.

21 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

Excitement in the Sky Sports commentary box at a pitchside thermometer which puts the temperature at 96ºF. Think we can all agree that that officially qualifies as a "scorcher". Another no-nonsense tackle on Grealish from Fulham, showing they can mix it as well as pass it to one another 17 times in a row.

17 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

Grealish picks the ball up in his own half and jinks away from Cairney. He's past him with ease but the Fulham midfielder sticks out a leg and brings down Johnny Haircut. No booking, Bruce apoplectic on the sideline. Looked the right call to me, but what do I know - I am not a qualified referee.

15 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

Snodgrass to Adomah again looking dangerous for Villa. They're pressing a little higher now and Johansen nearly comes a cropper as Grealish smells an interception. It's turned over to Snodgrass who nearly puts Adomah in in the area but it's slightly too heavy a pass and out for a goal kick. Fulham taking the keep-ball thing a little too far on that occasion, nearly went awry. Can they not knock it?

12 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

The pattern of the game is set, and it's much as you might have expected. Villa ceding possession and territory to their more artful opponents, but carrying a bit of a threat on the counter. Mitrovic has the edge on Chester so far, the defender bouncing off the large fella from Serbia as the two go up for a high ball.

9 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

Volume goes up a notch as Sessegnon has his first taste of the ball in a relatively promising position. He works it left towards Cairney, but his cross towards Mitrovic is headed away comfortably by one-time Manchester United disappointment James Chester. In the lead-up to that Chester went through Mitrovic with a heavy tackle from behind. When play stops he's booked by Anthony Taylor. Not ideal.

7 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

Early test for Fredericks, who is forced to keep a close eye on Adomah as Snodgrass puts a probing pass into the outside-left channel. The Fulham defender reads it well and is able to usher it out for a goal kick. The move was set up by Jedinak, looking fearsome so far prowling around between Fulham's midfield and Mitrovic, the lone striker.

4 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

Villa sitting deep early on, not attempting to press Fulham as they hold onto the ball in their own half. All 11 in claret and blue in their own half, in fact. Villa's fans trying to get some whistling going as Fulham hold onto it, but they're being drowned out by the enthusiastic applause of Fulham's support, enjoying their side's passing. At least, I hope it's applause. If those clappers have come to Wembley I will be legitimately livid.

2 mins Aston Villa 0 Fulham 0

Jedinak gets tired of Fulham holding onto the ball from kick off and gets an early mild reducer in on Kevin McDonald, the Fulham midfielder. Foul, no card. Fulham look to Fredericks, attacking from full-back on the right, but the pass out to him is long and collected by Johnstone in the Villa goal.

1 min Villa 0 Fulham 0

Fulham do the group hug thing, James Chester looks on unimpressed with hands on hips. Jack Grealish chews gum with a determined look on his face, framed by curtains as ever. Here we go, Fulham kick off.

One day, this will all be mine

The teams are out

Several large wavy-circular decorations on the pitch, Kanye West's All Of The Lights blasting out of the PA at unnecessary volume, Alan Mullery shakes the hands of both teams. Believe he once went to Rome to see the Pope? Not sure how that ended.

Fulham fans have the bad luck to be at the end of the stadium in which you get the sun in your eyes. Here comes the national anthem. Can confirm they've gone for the UK's.

“We can park the bus if we need to”

Sam Dean went to see Fulham’s manager Slavisa Jokanovic on Friday and he had this to say, on his team’s reputation for exciting football:

“It is not a question about aesthetics. It is not a question of showing how we play very good football. We know it is only important to win the game. My team will try to perform well and try to find our style to have more opportunity to win the game. If we need for the last 15 minutes to park the bus on the 18-yard box, we are going to do it. But we cannot do it at the beginning because this way cannot guarantee us to be successful."

More here, from both Sam and Fulham’s angriest Serbian man, in a surprisingly crowded field.

There are a striking number of key players on loan deals who would be unlikely to stick around (Lewis Grabban, Sam Johstone and Robert Snodgrass), another group who would likely leave (John Terry, James Chester and Jack Grealish 2.0 - return of the hairstyle), plus Nigel Kennedy is in danger of really kicking off.

No-one wants to see that.

Similar danger of course for Fulham, whose parachute payments expire next year. Hard to imagine Jokanovic and Sessegnon sticking around for another crack next year.

Hello friends

It’s the £900m game (actual value of Premier League promotion may differ from stated amount) at the £900m stadium (actual sale of stadium to man with eccentric moustache may fail to materialise) and I thank you for joining me here on this, the £900m liveblog (this figure is correct).

It’s London vs Birmingham under the arch, with both teams playing in their first ever play-off final. Fulham have fallen at the semi-final stage three times previously. Villa, meanwhile, are in the play-offs for the first time in their history. What does it all mean? Probably nothing for the players, Ryan Sessegnon wasn’t alive for two of Fulham’s previous play-off campaigns (1989 and 98).

The fans, though, will be in a state of heightened nervous exhilaration. Fulham’s have never visited the re-made Wembley, Villa’s previous visit was an FA Cup final when this guy was in charge:

Fulham are narrow favourites which seems about right if you were paying attention to the semi-finals. Villa’s passage to today’s game was nervy, holding on for a goalless draw against Middlesbrough which maintained their 1-0 aggregate lead. They dominated that game, in fact Boro didn’t manage a shot on target in the second leg, but it is possible to read too much into a defensive performance against a team managed by Tony Pulis.

Slavisa Jokanovic’s team will ask slightly different questions than Middlesbrough. “How do you fancy keeping this wounded Serbian powerhouse quiet while also paying attention to two dangerous, pacy wide players?” instead of “Have you ever had a parmo?”.

If there’s such a thing as play-off momentum it will be coursing through the shared veins of Fulham this afternoon, their 2-0 victory to see off Derby at Craven Cottage was everything you’d want from a play-off semi. Attacking, energised, and gutsy.

This final looks likely to be one of defence vs attack. You’d expect John Terry and James Chester to fare better against Mitrovic than Derby managed, and Adomah is a threat out wide for Fulham’s slightly suspect full-backs. You’d also expect Sessegnon to thrive on this stage and confirm the suspicion he’s a player destined for far bigger things than the Championship.

It has at least half of the makings of a play-off final classic and we’ll be with you throughout all of it. Team news, build-up and at least seven mentions of Bobby Zamora to follow, please stay tuned.